For many years I have read and seen videos on using the hopper dropper system. And to make this short and simple, some tie the dropper to the hook bend of the fly preceding it, or put the first fly on a 4 inch dropper and tie the nymph / emerger or whatever combo you want on the end of the tippet.

I saw something today that for some reason I have never thought of, no surprise there, or have never seen or heard of, and blast it all, I can’t find it now. So I will do my best to explain it.

I saw on some web site, that instead of placing the dropper behind the attractor fly, place the dropper fly in front of the attractor fly.

Now I don’t know about you guys, but I really like that idea for some reason. The drawing I saw made more sense to me.

Have any of you tried this, and is there a downside to it? If no negative results, I may just try this.

I’ve never tried this, truth be told I really enjoy casting just one dry fly. On the odd (but not uncommon) chance I’m desperate for a fish, I might tie a midge to a bigger dry I can see, that’s about it though, and I usually tangle that into a mess before long and abandon it for a single dry again.

You know, I thought about it some and with strictly dries it’s a common thing.

Brent, you may be right about wind knots. Putting a heavy bh nymph may be asking for disaster. Good call on that one Brent.

The picture the article had was a Buzzer tied to a dropper I believe 6 inches above the fry fly. The dropper could be set at any depth desired. When I saw it was a Buzzer I automatically thought what about spiders? Now keeping in mind what Brent said, a heavy fly nearest the rod, a spider isn’t much heavier than a dry. Nor is a RS2.

I think I remember reading about the technique you described as a way the Brits fish stillwater, usually from a boat on a windy day. The heavier point fly gets below the waves and the dropper bobs near the surface like an emerger.

Some nymphers use a heavily weighted fly on the end of the leader to get down to the stones instead of split shot and a smaller BWO or midge nymph 18″ or so up. Some believe that the big fly gets the fish’s attention and the small bug gets the strike. Who knows what goes through a fish’s micro brain – it’s probably overthinking the whole thing.

I also prefer casting a single dry, though once in a while I’ll succumb to using a dry and an unweighted nymph or emerger combo. I can delude myself that I’m really fishing dry and the other fly’s just along for the ride (at least until it hooks one)